Wednesday 22 May 2019

Awards Ceremony

Prudential UK and Royal Voluntary Service

Prudential UK and RVS are working in partnership to encourage thousands of older people across the UK to stay active, engaged and connected to their communities. Our research shows that one in eight over 60s don’t take part in any activities, with a lack of mobility (33%), not wanting to go somewhere where they didn’t know anyone (20%) and activity costs (13%) cited as some of the biggest barriers. We also know that loneliness and social isolation are harmful to health and are comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Campaign to End Loneliness). Staying connected is a key driver to ageing well, with social connection being as important as health and financial security (MORI/Centre for Ageing Better, 2015). In response to this, we launched First Time for Everything; which aims to give older people across the UK the chance to try something new, locally, for free. This supports the delivery of Prudential’s community investment goal on social inclusion, and RVS’ commitment to support older people. 11 RVS centres currently run the programme, growing to 22 in 2018. Since 2017 we’ve had nearly 1,200 attendees. Also nearly 280 volunteers helped to ensure an engaging experience that builds confidence and connections.